Weak Economy Hinders Black Friday

Among shoppers, "there's less of a sense of urgency than we've seen in the last few Black Fridays," said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at The NPD Group. "Last year they were pushing the cart in and coming out with a big-screen TV. This year, they're definitely not running around with their arms full."

U.S. stocks ended higher Friday, leaving the market with monthly losses but with large gains for a holiday-shortened week that saw investors increasingly confident that much of a dire economic outlook already has been priced in.

The market gained on so-called Black Friday, marking its fifth-straight session of gains, with grim prospects for retailers failing to dent optimism at the traditional start of the U.S. holiday-shopping season.